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Web Site Selling "Earthquake Forecasts"

Posted by timothy on from the ha-ha-ha-rumble-rumble-errr dept.

waytoomuchcoffee writes "The San Francisco Chronicle is running a story on geoForecaster.com, a site that offers 'earthquake forecasts,' for a fee. California is looking into claims that the site is practicing geology without a license."

21 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. Web server practising geology without a licence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Damn those SCSI drives know how to vibrate

  2. Yeah. by Judeccan · · Score: 3, Funny

    They have a page for Snake-Oil too, I've heard that's a cure-all for gullibility.

  3. Oh no! by JanusFury · · Score: 4, Funny

    California is looking into claims that the site is practicing geology without a license. If you let people practice geology without a license, The terrorists have already won.

    Sounds like typical snake oil salesmen to me. But I wonder, why on earth do you need a license to practice geology?

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    using namespace slashdot;
    troll::post();
    1. Re:Oh no! by R.Caley · · Score: 5, Funny
      I wonder, why on earth do you need a license to practice geology?

      Beause the lawyers have already won.

      --
      _O_
      .|<       The named which can be named is not the true named
  4. So, what did they do? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Shit, thats easy. Just teather Anna Nicole Smith. 100% foolproof.

  5. Just a 2.5... by $$$$$exyGal · · Score: 5, Funny

    I forecast that this company will go out of business at 2.5 on the Enron scale.

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    Very popular slashdot journal for adul
  6. Whats the big deal? by atarrri · · Score: 3, Funny

    You people act like you've never seen a scam before.

  7. I predict ... by burgburgburg · · Score: 4, Funny
    an earthquake somewhere along the Pacific rim, between a 2 and 12 on the Richter scale, sometime this year.

    Be sure to send me your credit card information so you can be billed the $9.95 you owe me for this information.

    1. Re:I predict ... by PurpleFloyd · · Score: 4, Funny

      I can't pay you with a credit card, but would you be interested in a share of $20 million dollars from my friend, the deposed Nigerian dictator? All you have to do is give me your bank account number and PIN, I'll handle the rest. How does $1 million US sound?

      --

      That's it. I'm no longer part of Team Sanity.
  8. In related news... by arvindn · · Score: 4, Funny
    CmdrTaco plans to sell forecasts of upcoming server outages all over the world to subscribers for as little as $9.99/month.

    slashdot.org has received a warning from regulators who have alleged that the service is a sham and amounts to wilful Denial Of Service attacks.

  9. That's like... by SoSueMe · · Score: 4, Funny
    Recent forecasts included one giving a 40 percent probability of a magnitude-2 to-3.2 earthquake last week in the Los Angeles area.

    The area experiences about 1,000 quakes a year, making such a forecast a near-sure thing. There have been several magnitude-2 quakes within the last week inside the 50-mile perimeter geoForecaster Inc. uses to score the validity of its forecasts.

    That's like living in Vancouver or Seattle and paying for a weather forcast that tells you it's going to rain.
  10. In addition to IANAL... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... we'll need to say IANAG, if California
    cracks down on them for not being geologists.

  11. You don't need a license by eclectro · · Score: 3, Funny


    to practice geology. Only a head full of rocks.

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  12. My dog practices without a license... by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    My dog got freaky one day and hid under my desk for no apparent reason. Later, there was a small earthquake. Ever since, I've been issuing 'Brown Alerts' (her fur is brown) whenever she hides under the desk.

    I didn't realize that her lack of a license was a reason to discredit her. *sigh* I'm really disappointed.

    1. Re:My dog practices without a license... by krin · · Score: 3, Funny

      I've heard of something like this before, on one of those Animal Planet or Learning Channel shows where they talk about amazing pets or some such.

      If I recall correctly it was a cat though, and a day or two before a rather large Earthquake occured the owner of the cat noticed it was acting really strange. They thought it was sick and took the cat to the vet, which concluded that nothing was wrong with the animal except maybe a little stress.

      They had one of their experts who theorized that animals such as cats and dogs have a sense for these sorts of things, much like how they also can sense when their owner is depressed and try to give a little extra love to them (don't go there sickos).

      It was an interesting theory and one I actually think is at least partially true. Anyone know of any sites that talk about this more?

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      There is no spork.
  13. Re:Is this for real? by PerryMason · · Score: 3, Funny

    I cant actually remember how much it cost, but I picked up my geology license when I got a license for my pet fish.....

    .....Eric the 'alibut.

    --
    "I'm tired of all this 'Aren't humanity great' bullshit. We're a virus with shoes" - Bill Hicks
  14. YOU ARE A PINK BUNNY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    and we love you so much!

  15. Easy enough to do by MrChuck · · Score: 4, Funny
    It's a protection racket...
    They "predict" a couple and then they use their secretly hidden devices to cause them.

    Remember that "earthquake swarm" in San Ramon (a town of burb claves just over the hills from SanFran/Oakland)??? I think it made national news (my dad in New England rang me about it)...
    Perhaps that was their testing of their "prediction" scheme.

    So they predict a few, then the maybe "predict" an 8.5 for San Francisco if they don't pony up perhaps Venture Capital.

    "Maybe you're safe, see? Or maybe there's an earthquake coming to your mudda's house. Or your kid's school, see? So let's see some investment here or we'll predict the penninsula back to orchards"

  16. yes, and they are basing their forecasts on... by g4dget · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...astrology. They'll probably set up a 900 number next: call in and let Lady AstraShake predict YOUR earthquake future.

  17. In Releated News... Rock hounds from all over Ca. by croftj · · Score: 2, Funny

    Thusands of California rockhounds are being rounded up for questioning and detention without lawyers for praticing geology without a license. Sources closest to the source say the mis-information these backyard geologists are dispensing is just plain horrific!

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    -- Many men would appreciate a woman's mind more if they could fondle it
  18. Dupe forecasting by backslashdot · · Score: 2, Funny

    I predict this article will be reposted as a dupe within the next 48 hours.